prost!
by electrikitty
Summary: the changing of years. the crown is changing hands. a stolen moment between reigns of kings, at midnight on the palace roof. / the royal tutor / one-shot / new year's eve special


**A/N:** Happy New Year, everyone! I was brainstorming a Royal Tutor NYE fic, and for some reason I just couldn't get the idea of the characters having a toast on the roof of the palace… to celebrate the next coronation. Yes, I jumped ahead and slammed down a flag with my prince of choice — it's New Year's _now_ and I can't wait another six years or however long until Higasa Akai writes the canon coronation of the next king. Forgive my impudence.

* * *

Starlight, gold, and a soft breeze. The clock is a breath away from striking midnight, and the kingdom looks like someone tipped out a jewellery box in a spread of multi-coloured beauty.

Gold dust and diamonds mingle in the sky. The wind plays with my hair.

It's beautiful.

'One would think you were a cat, Heine.'

I glance back down. 'I'm merely agile. Do you require assistance?'

'Very subtle.' The top of a ladder clatters against the edge of the roof.

'What, would you prefer I be unsubtle? Fine — do you require assistance in your _old age_ , Viktor?'

He scoffs. 'That's more like it. And no, thank you, I do not.'

An exchange of whispers. Then the click of footsteps on the ladder, and I take the prince's gloved hand to help him up and over the edge.

The glow of the kingdom brings out the blue in his eyes. He smiles. 'Thank you.'

'Of course, Prince.'

But he's already looking past me, the view reflected in his eyes like powdered diamonds. I sit beside him, one leg up, looking at the same view.

He rests his hands on his knees. 'It's… so beautiful.'

Viktor climbs the ladder and elegantly sets foot on the rooftop, joining us. 'Breathtaking, isn't it?'

The prince nods, and fingers his collar with one hand. 'It gives it a whole different meaning, seeing it like this.' His finger rests on the golden button beneath his collar. 'One-point-three million lives. One-point-three million ways of looking at the world.' He looks over at me, and it's bittersweet to see how much he's changed since that nighttime carriage ride. Yet the sweet outweighs the bitter. 'You told us that once, didn't you?'

'Yes, I did.'

We watch the changing lights for a moment.

Then Viktor reaches into the shadows, and takes out an unopened bottle of wine capped with gold foil. He smiles at the prince, unable to hide the humour in his eyes. 'What? Did you honestly think that we brought you up here merely for the view?'

The prince blinks, then laughs. 'For a moment, yes.'

As Viktor takes three crystal glasses from their hidden spot and removes the foil from the bottle with an expert hand, the prince and I both turn to watch.

'Brings back memories,' I murmur. 'Your father traded his pocket watch to me for a bottle of wine when we were children.'

'Children?' Viktor asks. 'I remember someone protesting rather adamantly that he wasn't a child…'

I correct him with a sigh. 'In contrast to _now_.'

'Yes yes, as you say. …I don't even want to try and think how many years it's been since then…'

Viktor locks a bottle opener over the cork, and sets to work on it. 'I'll take the opportunity to give you the lecture my father neglected to give to me: be responsible, and know your limits so you can't embarrass your kingdom at a formal dinner.'

I raise an eyebrow. 'Is there an incident behind that, Viktor?'

'Almost but not quite, thank goodness. But truly,' he says to the prince. 'Take it from other people that have been there.'

'I will.' He tilts his head and smiles. 'Thank you.'

I take out my pocket watch, prompted to by the memories. The casing is worn and chipped but the watch itself is still ticking. Only a couple of minutes to midnight. 'We thought we could make a toast to celebrate New Year's,' I say softly, to the prince. 'Amongst other things.'

'Continuing our little tradition, as such…' Viktor glances out over the view, then laughs awkwardly. 'Ahem… I had a bit of a time getting this up here earlier… Brace yourselves, it may be fizzy.'

The prince and I sit back, and the cork pops with a bang in a streak of foam, disappearing over the edge of the palace roof.

'A bit?'

The prince chokes and laughs behind a gloved hand. 'A bit of an _understatement_ , Father…'

A sudden scuffle below, and protesting voices. 'A… bottle cork — _who's up there?!_ '

We lean over the edge of the roof, and see a pair of completely bewildered guards below.

The prince waves, trying not to laugh. 'Sorry, Maximilian! Sorry, Ludwig!'

'…What on earth?' Maximilian says, leaning on his pike. Ludwig catches sight of us and gives us a weary smile. 'Please be careful, Your Highnesses.'

Viktor and I both take hold of the prince, holding him steady. 'They're right, Prince. Take care.'

'And Heine is right as well.' Viktor chuckles. 'The last thing we need is you taking a tumble from the palace roof on the eve of your coronation.'

'Yes, quite.' The prince sits back, yet I can see all the emotions in his eyes and a flickering smile on his face, at the reminder of what tomorrow is going to bring.

Viktor lets his son go and takes up the bottle of wine again, splashing it into the three glasses. 'Almost midnight, you two. Shall we?'

'Mm, yes!'

'Yes, thank you.'

The three of us take a glass, and sit looking out over the kingdom.

'You haven't actually tasted your father's favourite drink yet, have you, Prince?'

'No, for some reason I haven't. Although for the amount of times I've seen you two drinking it, I'll admit I'm curious to try it for myself.'

The seconds tick away on my pocket watch, lying beside me on the roof tiles.

The prince rolls the glass between his fingertips, and traces a finger down the glass's stem. '…I guess this is going to be my last night as a prince, huh?'

Viktor smiles. 'And my last night as a king.'

The prince looks up, lips parted to say something, but Viktor puts an arm around his shoulders and holds him close. 'I'm proud of you, you know.'

The prince tilts his head into Viktor's neck, and the two of them share a few whispered words. A private moment between father and son. '…Thanks, Father.'

'I'm proud of you as well, Prince.' The prince turns to me, and I push my glasses up. 'It's been my pleasure to teach you, and to watch you become a true heir for the throne. I could be no prouder.'

'You didn't just watch me,' the prince whispers. And he takes my hand in his. 'You helped me every step of the way. Thank you.'

For a moment, as we hold each other's gazes, I'm aware of Viktor sitting just behind the prince. The two of them blur in clarity like double vision. Both of them echoes of each other. The prince is a reflection of everything I came to love about my best friend, yet he's also his own person, with dreams and ideas — a student that I came to love like my own son.

And, just a touch, I smile. And the prince smiles back, with a hint of a smirk. 'Was that a smile, Heine?'

'The occasion called for it.'

'Does that mean you only smile every twenty-five years or so?'

'We're not that old!' Viktor and I both protest on instinct.

The prince hides his smile behind gloved fingers. 'I know, I know.' Then he touches a finger to the line of crimson trim on Viktor's uniform, to the gold buttons, and to the medallion around Viktor's neck. 'Come to think of it… I guess this is the last day I'm going to be wearing this,' he says, touching his own uniform.

'And the is the last day I'm going to be wearing _this_ ,' Viktor says with a rueful smile, making the prince laugh. 'I guess I'll need to rethink my wardrobe.'

The prince holds Viktor's medallion in the palm of his hand. 'It's kind of strange — knowing that I'll be wearing the same clothes I've always seen you in while I was growing up.'

'Mm. And we look so similar. If you got a haircut, maybe we would even be mistaken for each other.'

'Pfft. Not happening.'

'Aw, really?'

The prince laughs, pushing away Viktor and his teasing, yet letting Viktor keep his arm around his shoulders all the same.

And the clock strikes midnight. Chimes of silver and gold, as the years change hands.

Viktor and the prince glance at each other. A glance of longing, and affection, and letting go. Because despite the fact that the crown will change hands in front of millions of people at tomorrow's coronation, the real changing hands of the throne is happening right now.

In a stolen moment at midnight, on the palace roof.

'Well? Shall we?' Viktor says, raising his glass.

'Quite.'

Yes!'

Viktor's eyes catch mine over the rim of the glass. Blue eyes lit with gold dust. 'To Glanzreich's future. And its new king.'

The prince hesitates. Then starts to speak. 'To a kingdom where everyone has a warm place to sleep.'

Viktor's eyes widen a touch, as he recognises the words. '…Where no one will want for food.'

'Where there is equal access to education,' I say.

And Prince Leonhard smiles, looking into his glass, with everything we're feeling reflected in the sparkling facets of amber and crystal. 'To a prosperous and peaceful nation.'

The clock strikes its final chime, and it echoes over the glittering landscape.

Viktor smiles. 'I'll drink to that. Prost!'

'Prost!'

Our glasses clink. And a single tear accents the prince's smile, a delicate line of silver that paints his skin.

We take up our glasses, but before the prince can take a sip, I raise an eyebrow and interrupt. 'Be careful, Prince, it will be fizzy. And it may not be to your taste.'

He gives me a look and says, 'I'm not a child.' Yet his trademark pride has been mellowed somewhat by a better sense of humour, and he can take a joke at his expense with a smile. 'And I learned to stomach bitter things a long time ago. You can't hold that over my head anymore.'

And unthinkingly, he downs a sip at once. He coughs and can barely keep it down, coughing behind a gloved hand while Viktor and I laugh so hard that we nearly spill our drinks.

Leonhard hits a fist against his chest and finally gets a hold of himself. He takes a breath. 'You… _like_ this stuff?'

'A tip, Leonhard,' Viktor says. He takes a drink, yet pauses between the actual sip and swallowing it. 'Never down a new drink all of a sudden. It usually doesn't end well. Get used to the taste and _then_ swallow.'

'And I thought you said you'd adjusted to bitter things, Prince…'

'I have!' He stares at the glass, then cautiously takes another sip, before exhaling with a cough. '…But not fizzy things.'

'Well, I guess you can't grow up overnight,' Viktor jokes. Then he lowers his voice and whispers the words into Leonhard's hair. 'But no matter how old you are, you'll always be my son. Even when you're the king of the whole realm.'

Silver spatters the surface of Leonhard's drink, and the liquid fizzes. 'Thanks, Father.'

'Your father's right.' I hesitate for a moment, uncomfortable with laying my emotions bare. 'I… I know that I'm no longer your teacher. You're taking the throne tomorrow, and you're more than capable of taking care of yourself now. But… if you ever wished me to… do anything for you, you need only say the word.'

I wait for him to dismiss my offer. Yet he rests his hand on mine, blue eyes meeting mine. 'You'll always be my teacher, Heine. You told us that learning is a process that goes on for our whole lives, didn't you?' He grins, and squeezes my hand. 'Besides, I need someone I can actually count on for advice — not a room full of advisors or a council that all wants a piece of their new king.'

I hold his gaze for a moment, then bow over his hand. 'As you wish. It will be my pleasure to serve you, Your Majesty. I will not fail you.'

I look up after a moment. And for a moment, I see so much of the prince I know in him — that wide-eyed innocence, that stunned shock that someone would support him, treasure him, and have his back no matter the trial. Then he smiles, and it instantly brings him back to the man he is now — a blue-eyed king with golden hair and a pretty face, shaped with a hint of maturity. 'Thank you, Heine.'

We take our drinks, and Leonhard cautiously sips at his like a kitten lapping from a dish, while I down mine in one.

'Still, Leonhard,' Viktor says. 'It's not as though Heine isn't already going to be serving you when you're king.' He grins behind his glass. 'He's going to be the Royal Tutor for the next generation of young royals at the palace — and that means he'll be teaching your children — '

Leonhard chokes and nearly spits his drink everywhere. 'C-Children?!' He blushes, and stammers in protest, which is no end of amusement to Viktor and I. 'I'm not even married yet!'

'You won't be able to say that for much longer,' I remark.

'W-Well, yes, but — s-still!' His embarrassment fades from extreme anguish to mild discomfort, and he winds a strand of silky blonde hair around his finger. 'I'm still trying to fill the role of king. I don't know if I can even be a father…'

Viktor sips the last of his drink, and rests a hand on Leonhard's shoulder. 'It's all right, Leonhard. People don't just instantly flip a switch and become perfect parents the moment you have children. You _learn_ how to do it, and you'll have someone you love at your side to help you.'

Leonhard looks down, and smiles a little. 'It sounds easier when you put it like that. It sounds kind of nice…' He considers for a moment. 'Is that why there's such a large age gap between Eins and Kai? Because it took you so long to get the hang of it?'

Viktor blinks, then bursts out laughing. 'Well, that's one way to look at it! But no. And the timing's not really something you can help.'

Leonhard blinks. Then blushes and hides his face in his hands. 'Father _… really_?'

I retreat to the safety of my empty glass and raise my eyebrows with my eyes firmly fixed on the crystal. 'I remember when that type of joke used to go right over your head, Prince. Did you have a chat with him, Viktor?'

'Yes, we had a little talk…' Leonhard whacks Viktor in the ribs and Viktor catches his hand, pulling him close again. 'When your kids begin courting, you have to talk about these things — '

' _FATHER!_ '

'I'm well and truly glad I inadvertently missed out on that conversation…'

Leonhard finally wrests his hand free from Viktor's grip, and crosses his arms. 'Hmph.' But despite all his protesting, he can't completely hide a smile.

'Anyway,' Viktor says. 'If one wished, you can always enlist the help of one's own parents. We _have_ done it all before, after all.' Then he hesitates. 'I… I know I haven't always been there, Leonhard. And I know I've made some mistakes. I wasn't able to do everything I wanted to do for you while you were growing up. But… if you ever want me to, I'll be there for you.'

'I know. And thank you. I'm just glad to have a father like you at all.'

And I can only imagine what Viktor's feeling in his heart at those words.

Leonhard glances up at him. 'I guess I can come to you if I get stuck then.' He tilts his head, looking at the stars. 'And Heine, too.'

I can't quite grasp what he's saying. 'Pardon, Prince?'

He glances over at me. 'If I need advice on raising my kids. You pretty much wrangled all four of us and taught us and helped us clean up all our messes and got us through our education — everything Dad would have done if he was able to. That's what parenting is, isn't it?'

For some reason, I can my hear aches and I can feel tears pricking my eyes, even though I don't really know the reason why. 'If that's your answer — then I don't think that you truly need our help at all. But you may certainly have it nonetheless.' Then I adjust my glasses and say, 'But if your children are as much of a handful as you and your brothers were, then you're going to need all the help you can get.'

' _Hey_!'

I prop my chin in my hand and look away. 'I'm willing to listen to a counterargument.'

'Grr, _you_ …'

'Come now, vague threats and growls are not befitting for the sovereign of a kingdom.'

'Nngh _…_ '

 _'_ I'm still waiting for the _counterargument_ …'

'I don't have one!' Leonhard finally gives up on his fit of ill temper and smiles. A dimple creases his cheek. 'Because I can't really deny it. I guess it shows just how far we've come, huh?'

And I smile too. 'It truly does.'

'Another smile? Should we be worried?'

I cross my arms. 'That's enough from you, Prince.'

He rests his head in his hand, looking at me with that old blue fire in his eyes. 'What happened to "Your Majesty"?'

'You're not quite technically king yet.' I get up, and pad across the roof tiles as Viktor and Leonhard get up. 'You still have not been officially crowned, have you?'

And Viktor sweeps Leonhard off his feet, startling a yelp out of him, and he carries the prince across the roof against a sparkling backdrop of lights.

We draw to a halt at the top of the ladder, and I gently take the prince's hand. 'Good night. I hope this was a little something special for you.'

He takes both of my hands in his, and his fingertips hold mine, in echo of an old promise. 'It was. Thank you. Both of you — Father, and Heine. Thank you.'

And he's thanking us for so much more than that.

His fingers lace through mine, and I can feel his pulse beating in the palm of his gloved hand. Feel the pressure that weighs on him like golden chains. I can see everything he's feeling in his eyes.

'You'll need to learn to mask those emotions at court,' I murmur. 'Do you wish to talk about it, Prince?'

And he allows himself the briefest window, just one second of weakness under the weight of the throne and the crown. Just one whisper. Just one moment of honesty, laced with guilt for feeling more than he should almost be expected to bear. '…I'm scared, Heine. I'm terrified.'

It's not merely his old fears and ghosts chasing him as he runs away. I know him too well for that. It's an overwhelmingly real fear and pressure, lengths and lengths of chains, of a thousand whispers everywhere he turns.

Of the responsibility for a kingdom. An empire.

And he's still so young. Just like Viktor was.

I take the prince's fingertips in mine, in echo of a promise we once made. 'I know. But you have me.'

Viktor takes Leonhard's other hand. 'And you have me as well.'

'And you will have us for as long as we are able to be by your side. Until our dying breaths.' I touch a hand to Leonhard's face, the moonlight painting us in shades of silver and frost. 'We'll be there for you, and you can come to us. That we promise you.'

A promise. Of touched fingertips, of wine and a golden pocket watch, sealed with tears and the clink of glass.

And Leonhard takes his hands from ours and takes me, and for a moment, all three of us are caught in an embrace.

A king. A prince. A tutor.

'Remember how you once thought one plus one equaled three?' I murmur.

He lets me go, and blinks away the tears that freckle his cheeks. He smiles, but he's confused. '…Why are we bringing this up now?'

'Because you were right.'

Leonhard blinks. 'Eh?'

'Kings of the realm are meant to hold some degree of eloquence, you know…' Yet I make my point, counting on my fingers. 'Viktor and I. One plus one. Then you. One plus one equals…'

'The three of us.' And he blinks away the last of his tears, and smiles. 'Licht and Bruno would have a field day if they could hear you say that. And Kai would too.'

I shake my head and turn away with a shrug. 'I know, I know. I'll probably lose my job as the Royal Tutor.' I affect an accent and make up the words as I go along. '"A Tutor? With a criminal record? And heaven _forbid_ , he's teaching the princes that one plus one equals three! Away with him at once!"'

I turn back, and Leonhard presses a hand to his lips, before laughing so hard that Viktor almost drops him, and Viktor can't wipe a grin off his face either. Yet I can see a question in Viktor's eyes. But I reassure him with a glance.

I don't know if I could have said those words when I first came to the palace. Even now, it's still a reminder of my past. Yet still… I've come to peace with it on my own terms, and so have the princes come to terms with their pasts.

It wasn't that I taught them. It was that we taught each other. More than I'll ever truly know.

'Come now, shall we go?' I say. 'You have one more night of being a prince, so enjoy it, and have sweet dreams.'

'Wait, Heine. Thank you,' Leonhard says. 'I mean it.' His lips quirk in a soft smile. 'You always know how to make me feel better, even after all these years.'

I take his hand. 'You're welcome.' And I lightly press a kiss to his knuckles. 'You're welcome… Prince.'

Because no matter the distance that may separate us, and no matter how far from the palace he may roam... he will always be my student. The one who hates math and loves chocolate cake, the one who became a king despite his weaknesses — a kind-hearted king who is sensitive to the pain of other people. He's the one who learned to chase his dreams instead of running from his problems.

And in my heart, no matter what title he may hold… he will always be my prince.

 _The End_

* * *

 **A/N:** Reviews welcome, and thanks for reading!


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